Texas Latino leaders label voter fraud investigation “nonsense,” call for federal, state reviews

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HOUSTON — A Democratic candidate for the Texas House on Monday dismissed as “nonsense” a state vote harvesting investigation that led authorities to confiscate her phone and search the homes of a legislative aide and elderly Latino election volunteers.

Cecilia Castellano, who is running to succeed state Rep. Tracy King, D-Uvalde, made the remarks during a news conference that featured some of the South Texans who were served search warrants last week.

Latino civil rights leaders and state lawmakers also said on Monday they will ask the federal government and Texas Senate to investigate the raids.

League of United Latin American Citizens leaders have said authorities searched the homes of elderly Latino election volunteers pre-dawn with guns drawn and scant information about their probe. They have blasted the raids executed by Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office as an effort to intimidate Latino voters.

Without naming him, Castellano said the state’s top Republicans had publicly endorsed her opponent, former Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin Jr.

“Do not get distracted by this nonsense,” Castellano said. “Despite the challenges, I refuse to be silenced.”

McLaughlin, in an interview with The Texas Tribune, denied that the investigation was politically motivated to help him win, adding that he did not know about the probe until Saturday when he learned about it through a press release.

"I have not had any conversation with the Attorney General's Office or the attorney general," he said. "To point fingers at me? I don't play that way. I didn't play that way when I was mayor and I won't play that way now."

McLaughlin said that Castellano is innocent until proven guilty but he doesn't believe a judge would allow a warrant to be issued haphazardly.

"Usually, where there's smoke, there's fire," he said.

Paxton’s office has said little about its investigation aside from an announcement last week about the search warrants that his investigators executed in Frio, Atascosa and Bexar Counties.

However, affidavits for search warrants obtained by The Texas Tribune show that agents were investigating allegations that a longtime Frio County political operator had illegally harvested votes for multiple local races. They do not include the warrants for Castellano’s phone or for the home of one of her aides, Manuel Medina, a former chair of the Bexar County Democratic Party and chief of staff to state Rep. Elizabeth "Liz" Campos, D-San Antonio.

Among the races was Castellano’s, according to the documents. An investigator from Paxton’s office claimed in the sworn affidavit that Medina was recorded discussing a scheme to collect votes for Castellano with the operator during the 2024 primary.

Republicans hope to flip the South Texas seat Castellano is running for as they aim to secure enough votes to pass a school voucher bill next legislative session. Republican Gov. Greg Abbott carried the House district by 6 percentage points in 2022. King, one of the most moderate members of the House, ran unopposed.

Both Medina and Castellano have previously condemned the probe as a politically-motivated attack. At Monday’s news conference, Castellano did not directly address the allegation in the affidavits and Medina did not speak.

Paxton’s office did not immediately respond Monday to a request for comment.

LULAC officials plan to file formal complaints with the U.S. Justice Department, seeking a federal review of the state’s investigation and raids, said Gabriel Rosales, LULAC’s Texas state director.

“We didn't break any law,” Rosales said. “All we did was go out there to increase the political participation of the Latino community.”

State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, D-San Antonio, said he and another lawmaker planned to request a state inquiry from Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick. Such a review is unlikely to be granted by Patrick, a staunch Republican who presides over the Senate.

James Barragán contributed.

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